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After more than two years of asking the Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) to honor its agreement with Dominion Sky Angel, BBN has refused, resulting in a breach of its agreement and its discontinuation on the Dominion Sky Angel satellite system. Sky Angel provides free airtime to our programmers and only asks that they promote the entire 36-channel Sky Angel service in the manner that both the channel, in this case BBN, and Sky Angel agree to at the time the agreement is signed. Sky Angel and BBN signed such an agreement in 1999.

BBN committed itself to doing a number of specific promotions during the past five years it has been receiving free airtime on Sky Angel, but despite numerous discussions pleading with BBN to honor its commitments, it not only refused to promote Sky Angel in the manner that it originally agreed upon but also made misrepresentations to Sky Angel regarding the promotion it claimed it was doing.

BBN was given numerous opportunities to correct this breach and remain on Sky Angel, free of charge, but chose to come off Sky Angel instead. We are disappointed that in addition to not honoring its agreement with Sky Angel, BBN has chosen to make false, misleading, inflammatory and defamatory statements, on and off the air, concerning this issue, including that Sky Angel did not inform them as to why BBN was being discontinued, that the discontinuation was sudden, and implying that Sky Angel is going in a different direction spiritually, rejecting conservative Christian music and traditional Bible teaching. These statements are completely false.

As our subscribers know from Sky Angel's program offerings, Sky Angel offers a wide variety of programming featuring traditional Bible teaching and conservative Christian music, including our recent addition of Bott Radio and long-time carriage of Moody Radio, Sacred Favorites, American Family Radio, and others. Additionally, BBN’s statements to the effect that BBN’s discontinuation is sudden and that Sky Angel did not tell them why it’s being discontinued on Sky Angel are not only false but puzzling. For one, BBN’s discontinuation follows numerous opportunities Sky Angel provided BBN to fulfill the commitments it made to Sky Angel in exchange for the no-cost airtime that Sky Angel has been providing the network for several years now. And a detailed letter on March 18, 2004, to BBN President Lowell Davey (click on underlined text to read letter) from Sky Angel’s VP, Programming outlined the issues in detail in a final attempt to rectify the problem. While it was confirmed that Mr. Davey received this correspondence, he never replied. Second, in a letter dated June 3, 2004, Sky Angel Chairman Robert Johnson formally notified Mr. Davey of Sky Angel’s intention to discontinue carriage of BBN specifically due to BBN’s refusal to honor its agreement. Mr. Davey acknowledged receipt of this letter personally to Mr. Johnson and chose to accept BBN’s discontinuation on Sky Angel rather than offer to have BBN fulfill the commitment it made to Sky Angel.

In fact, any promotion that BBN has done has been to primarily focus on promoting itself on Sky Angel and not the 35 other Sky Angel television and radio channels that BBN agreed to promote when it signed the agreement in 1999 to receive free Sky Angel airtime.

Because Sky Angel does not charge its programmers for the valuable airtime and means of national distribution that it affords them, promotional efforts by each channel in lieu of monetary payment is a vital means of enlisting support for this valuable multi-channel satellite delivery system—the only one of its kind in the world—dedicated to discipling the Church and reaching the most unreachable areas of the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are disappointed that BBN is making these false and misleading statements in an apparent attempt to cover up its own wrong-doing in this matter, and Dominion has formally informed BBN to retract the statements and refrain from making any similar statements in the future. Sky Angel is a Christian entity that believes that Christian ministries should honor their word per basic biblical precepts.

I am sorry to hear that BBN is gone from Sky Angel. If BBN failed to live up to what they agreed to, then they should not be surprised. If they signed a contract, obviously, they needed to keep up their end of the bargain or be axed. We need to keep our word.

However, IMHO, requiring all of the radio and TV stations to promote all the other channels on Sky Angel is a certain way to kill the diversity of Christian teaching and musical tastes that COULD be provided by its participants. If I'm a Christian programmer, and I don't believe the Bible supports the radical faith-healer movement, I'm not going to want to spend part of my broadcast time encouraging people to watch channels that promote that agenda. So I'm going to not want to be part of Sky Angel, rather than having to do that.

Are we heading for a Sky Angel package where all the radio channels carry only contemporary Christian music, and all the TV channels carry only the Benny Hinn showboat variety of programs? If Sky Angel wishes to survive, I think they need MORE variety, not less.

I fear Sky Angel does not really recognize the need to present a voice for the more conservative branch of evangelical Christianity, those who appreciate more traditional music and careful Biblical teaching. If this trend continues, more and more people will just go with the Christian channels provided by the other Satellite services in their basic packages--why pay another $12.00 a month for what amounts to just more of the same thing?

I am sorry to hear that BBN is gone from Sky Angel. If BBN failed to live up to what they agreed to, then they should not be surprised. If they signed a contract, obviously, they needed to keep up their end of the bargain or be axed. We need to keep our word.

However, IMHO, requiring all of the radio and TV stations to promote all the other channels on Sky Angel is a certain way to kill the diversity of Christian teaching and musical tastes that COULD be provided by its participants. If I'm a Christian programmer, and I don't believe the Bible supports the radical faith-healer movement, I'm not going to want to spend part of my broadcast time encouraging people to watch channels that promote that agenda. So I'm going to not want to be part of Sky Angel, rather than having to do that.

Are we heading for a Sky Angel package where all the radio channels carry only contemporary Christian music, and all the TV channels carry only the Benny Hinn showboat variety of programs? If Sky Angel wishes to survive, I think they need MORE variety, not less.

I fear Sky Angel does not really recognize the need to present a voice for the more conservative branch of evangelical Christianity, those who appreciate more traditional music and careful Biblical teaching. If this trend continues, more and more people will just go with the Christian channels provided by the other Satellite services in their basic packages--why pay another $12.00 a month for what amounts to just more of the same thing?

I first heard BBN about 15 years ago while on a weekend trip to the Columbus, Ohio area. At that time WFCO-FM Lancaster was a BBN affiliate. Due to circumstances, I was asked to lead Music at a local church in Lancaster that Sunday. Loved what I heard on WFCO..A breath of fresh air compared to what I heard on Christian Radio in the Canton-Akron, Ohio area.(Even worse now). WFCO is no longer a BBN affiliate, but since that weekend I have asked BBN many times to consider a station for this area.That being said, when I first got DBS, I got Sky Angel first. One of the biggest reasons was BBN. I agree that BBN should not have to promote other channels especially when they do not agree with BBN's mission statement.What really disappointed me is that when I specifically asked Sky Angel if they planned to replace BBN with a similar station, they merely pointed out that some of the BBN programming is available on other stations, which I already knew. Also Mentioned Sacred Favorites radio which is a pretty good station in itself, but the bottom line is..Sky Angel made NO PROMISES they would even attempt to replace BBN with another conservative station in the same mold. If this keeps going as is, I may end up dropping Sky Angel..

I agree that BBN should not have to promote other channels especially when they do not agree with BBN's mission statement.Tim LonesCanton, Ohio

I do not believe any of the SA providers would totally agree with the programming offered by another SA provider that is why they offer what they offer to be different, but an agreement is an agreement. Whatever happened to let your yes be yes? I don't read it that they had to "promote" other SA channels only that they had to promote SA. What I see and hear on the other channels is the standard SA add of "get SA with it's 36 audio and video channels". I never hear "we here on Worship want you to get SA so you can watch say, the Catholic channel". Running adds to promote SA in general doesn't seem like too much to ask anybody. The free air time is worth a lot. If you want to really loose diversity it will be when SA has to start to charge for air time because they can't get enough subscribers to totally foot the bill. There is nothing like SA and the diversity it has. We need to support and promote it and do our part to make it successful. The bigger it gets the more diversity it can offer.

Even though I don't listen to it, and don't agree with it, I am actually sorry to see BBN go, because someone I know was a huge fan, and I know he'll be disappointed. I may not believe exactly as BBN does, but I certainly think they should have the right to their point of view.

I don't think Sky Angel wanted BBN to promote other specific channels, just the fact that there *were* other channels on SA* besides just BBN. If BBN found those channels that questionable to begin with, perhaps they shouldn't have signed up with Sky Angel years ago. I also don't see why they couldn't at least mail SA* brochures out; telling BBN members/listeners that SA* was available would allow them to review it and make up their own mind about subscribing.

I am rather disappointed that it's been replaced with the generic, boring "Today's Christian Music" format which I can already hear on a local FM station that covers my area with a very strong signal. It is also a format that (while I personally haven't listened enough to verify this) listeners on other forums have reported contains a fair amount of commercials. I think BBN should really have been replaced with another talk station, or a music station that played a different style of music from what is already available. With Oasis, God Listens (KSBJ), and WAY-FM already available, I don't see the need for the same type of music with commercials. Even AFR and CSN arguably play a lot of the same music as at least Oasis and KSBJ.

FWIW, the official Sky Angel point of view is at skyangel.com/bbn - I wish they would quit having these hidden websites to explain issues. I don't know if there are any more than the two I know about (the other being skyangel.com/echostarlawsuit), but I wish they would at least link to them somewhere else in their site. I realize they want to put on a good public face, but I think it would actually be a good thing for people to be able to see their responses in their business dealings. I mean, they're not perfect, but they seem to be making a good effort.

Even though I don't listen to it, and don't agree with it, I am actually sorry to see BBN go, because someone I know was a huge fan, and I know he'll be disappointed. I may not believe exactly as BBN does, but I certainly think they should have the right to their point of view.

I don't think Sky Angel wanted BBN to promote other specific channels, just the fact that there *were* other channels on SA* besides just BBN. If BBN found those channels that questionable to begin with, perhaps they shouldn't have signed up with Sky Angel years ago. I also don't see why they couldn't at least mail SA* brochures out; telling BBN members/listeners that SA* was available would allow them to review it and make up their own mind about subscribing.

I think you misread my position. I certainly believe that BBN, and anyone else for that matter, should live up to what they have agreed to. Better yet, they should never have made such an agreement in the first place.

As far as Sky Angel not requiring programmers to promote other channels, they most certainly do! They many not have to mention other channels individually by name, but each programmer is expected to run spots that promote Sky Angel as "36 Christ-centered channels" and "worry-free tv." If that is not an endorsement of all the other channels in the package, I don't know what is!

If I was running a Christian TV or radio station, believing that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, how could I in good conscience promote Sky Angel in the above manner, knowing that one station airs a program called "Justification Before God--Not By Faith"?

Sky Angel's policy is not a good one, and is detrimental to their mission, IMO.

BabaLouie - sorry if it appeared I was attacking your personal position. I was only attacking BBN's position.
And that's exactly what I meant by not having to promote "specific channels" - SA* does want it mentioned that there's a package of 36 radio & TV stations, but they wouldn't require BBN to promote, say, KTV specifically.

Would there be a better policy for Sky Angel to have (instead of requiring their affiliates to promote the service heavily)? I think their hand is being forced in terms of promotion; if they received more support from the Christian community to begin with, they probably wouldn't have to lean on their partners so hard to get more signups.
I feel part of the problem is that the absolute biggest Christian broadcasters don't want to promote anyone else for fear their audience and donations would leave. I suppose it's also quite possible that there just isn't a market for this sort of thing. The thing is, I think the Christian market is already quite fractured, and some of the things that might bring in some viewers (like adding family friendly secular channels) would be enough for other viewers to cancel completely (feeling they should only get 100 percent Christian content 24/7).

I also think that once SA* gets their 6 transponders off lease, and can utilize them for Christian programming, they might change their tune and have a bit more liberal standard for carrying various networks. Maybe even a sliding fee scale for those networks that would be willing to help pay their way, rather than live with the feeling they're supporting something they can't agree with?